Garment-retainer.



No. 761,779. s l v PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.- B, L. MERRILL.

GARMENT RETAINER.

v APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1904. no M01721}.

Wm ifi g xa I I Q 1 WITNESSES: H INVENTOR 5 J-Zf v I I v m: norms warms co PHOYO-LITMQ. WASHINGTON, n

UNITED STATES Patented June '7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GARMENT-RETAINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,779, dated June '7, 1904;. Application filed January 29, 1904. Serial No. 191,110. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILY L. "MERRILL, of

Boston, inthe county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Retainers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an efiicient deviceto aid in adjusting two portions of a ladys dress relatively to each other and to firmly secure the same in such adjusted position.

The invention is especially directed toward the provision of a devicefor use in connection with a ribbon worn either at the waist as a belt or girdle or at the neck.

The invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a section on the line 45 4 of'Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents aview showing the effect of belt and neck ribbons when attached to a gown by means of theimproved retainer. 'Fig. 6 represents a simplified form of the retainer. Fig. 7 represents a sideview of' the same. Fig. 8 represents a view of the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with the parts in a different relative position. Fig. 9. represents a view similar to Fig. 6, the attaching. member of the device being shortened.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring first to Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, the device illustrated in these figures as embodyingmy invention comprises'two principal parts, viz: first, a plate member forming a support and guide for a belt or neck ribbon,. a repand, secondly, an attaching member. resents a substantially flat plate, which may be made of sheet metal orother suitable material and presents a smooth front face when in use, over which the'portion of the ribbon which is tobe exposed. to view passes. At

one edge of the plate a is formed a perforated enlargement a, which forms a bear ng for the connection between the two members.

pintle portion of a -Ushaped fastening member comprising the straight neck portion 0', connecting the two sharp-pointed substantially parallel penetratingpin portions 0 c. The neck 0, passing through the bearing or enlargement 4, forms a pintle for the hinge fer that the neck 0 should fit somewhat closely in the enlargement a, as a slight amount of friction between the parts is of some assistance in manipulating the device. The penetrating-pins 0c are preferably slightly curved, as shown.

In using the device the belt-ribbon is held wrong-side out, with one edge near the point where it is to be fastened. Supposing this point to be just below the waist-line and directly in front, the pins 0 0 will be directed upwardly and pushed to nearly or quite their whole length through the ribbon c and through the skirt of the gown cl and into the corset beneath. The pin portions 0 c of the attaching member are so positioned that they will preferably enter the fabric'of the corset, one on each side of the front opening, and secure a firm hold. The ribbon is thus'firmly secured, particularly against upward movement, which is the result desired at this point. The plate a is then turned upwardly to its final position, resting against the skirt, and the the belt-ribbon is also turned upwardly to the position indicated by dotted lines ein Fig. 4 and is further disposed according to the taste of the wearer. It will be noted that by the manner ofattachment the retainer is necessarily entirely concealed by the ribbon. The ribbon when folded backinto its final position will take the initial shape at its lower portion imparted to it by the plate a-that is to say, if the plate a is small, and particularly if it is pointed at its lower or outward part, the

ribbon'being free atother points and restrained by the plate a will assume the shape of a belt or girdle pointed at the front or in the position where theretainerhasbeennapplied. This embodiment of the invention is particularly well adapted for use in shaping a girdle, and it will be readily understood that by using the retainer at various points a sash or girdle of soft ribbon or silk may be sub- I pro-- jected to aconsiderable variation in form and position. By employing four of the devices viz., two in front, one placed below the waistline, as described, with the pins 0 0 extending upwardly, and the other placed above the waist-line, with the pins 0 0 extending downwardly, and two retainers at the back of the gown in similar positions, one below and the other above the Waist-line-a girdle may be formed which is widened and pointed at front and back and narrowed as it passes under the arms. The firm engagement of the retainer with the garments of the wearer and the complete concealment of the retainer beneath the ribbon combine to make my improved device a very desirable girdle-former. It is common to make a shaped girdle by cutting the ribbon or other fabric in several pieces, seaming the pieces together and attaching whalebones or other stiffening means at the seams to hold the girdle in shape. The method of shapinga girdle by the use of my retainer or girdle-former is much more simple and convenient and is always effective.

To adapt the described form of retainer for a neck-ribbon, I prefer to shorten the pins 0 0, making their length about the same as the height of the plate a, as shown in Fig. 9, so that the pins are practically covered by the plate when in position.

In case it is desired, instead of forming a belt or girdle with a sharp point, to give it a round curve I prefer to employ a retainer whose ribbon-guiding plate a has a comparatively broad bearing against the fold of the ribbon.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate a retainer witha comparatively broad plate a. In these figures 7) 7) represent additional sharp-pointed pins or prongs, which are soldered or otherwise rigidly aifixed to the plate a. and are adapted to engage an edge of the ribbon, but not to enter the fabric of the gown. I find that the provision of the prongs b aids materially in adjusting the ribbon over the wide ribbon guide or plate a and aid in preventing it from slipping so as to expose the plate.

I have shown in each embodiment of the invention the attaching member as including two pins 0. This I have found in practice to be desirable; but it is obvious that the invention is not limited to the use of two pins 0, but may be carried out with one pin or with any desired number.

It will be readily understood that owing to the fact that the outer face of the plate is uniform in the sense that there are no projections therefrom a ribbon which has been turned over said plate across the outer face thereof, as represented by the dotted lines 0 in Fig. i, will present a smooth textile surface, giving the same appearance as though the form of a girdle or neck-piece having a widened portion with the ribbon smoothly concealing the device, the said device c0111- prising a plate having a penetrating attaching member hinged thereto at the central portion of one edge of said plate and projecting beyond the opposite edge of the plate to a distance to steady the device and prevent it from being tilted out of the garment by the tension of the ribbon, the central portion of the edge to which the attaching member is hinged projecting beyond the adjacent portions of said edge to enable the ribbon to be smoothly distended or widened at that point, and the portions of the edge each side of the hinge being curved to present no edge protuberances against the ribbon, the outer face of said plate when the latter is turned toward the attaching member being uniform to enable the ribbon to present a smooth textile surface.

2. A device of the character described, adapted to secure a ribbon to a garment in the form of a girdle or neck-piece having a widened portion with the ribbon smoothly concealing the device, the said device comprising a plate having a penetrating attaching member hinged thereto at the central portion of one edge of said plate and projecting beyond the opposite edge of the plate to a distance to steady the device and prevent it from being tilted out of the garment by the tension of the ribbon, the central portion of the edge to which the attaching member is hinged projecting beyond the adjacent portions of said edge to enable the ribbon to be smoothly distended or widened at that point, and the portions of the edge each side of the hinge being curved to present no edge protuberances against the ribbon, the outer face of said plate when the latter is turned toward the attaching member being uniform to enable the ribbon to present a smooth textile surface. the other or inner face of the plate having short prongs to engage the fabric to aid in preventing exposure of the plate by a slipping of the fabric.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMILY L. M ltlth ILL.

IVitnesses:

E. BA'ICIIELDER, A. l). Hanmsox. 

